Overall, the population in the country as a whole rose 0.9 percent (or about 2.8 million people) to 296.4 million. More than half of that came from growth in five states: Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and Georgia.

The 10 most populous states, meanwhile, account for 54 percent of the U.S. population. The 2005 list contains many of the usual suspects: California, with 36.1 million people, followed by Texas, with 22.9 million people, and New York, with 19.3 million people.

The others in the list of the 10 most populous states are: Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia and New Jersey.

The Census estimates were taken before Hurricane Katrina hit, so they do not reflect the migration of residents that occurred as a result of that storm.

Population: State by state rankingsThe U.S Census Bureau's annual ranking. Click on state name for cities in the Best Places to Live database and get more statistics.